The present invention relates to the fabrication of parts from tubing on a mass production basis, for example the fabrication of such parts as automotive fuel, vapor, brake and transmission oil cooler lines by processing individual lengths of tubing to deburr the ends, assemble fittings, flare the ends and then blow out the tubing to remove any debris.
The closest existing machine of which Applicants are aware is the one disclosed in Applicants' prior U.S. Letters Pat. No. 3,874,048, issued 4/1/75 and assigned to the assigness of the present application, and particularly the assembling section 32 thereof. In that disclosure tubing is cut to measured lengths which are fed to a series of aligned work stations where they are progressively operated upon by assembling end fittings, flaring the end, and then bending the tubes to the required shape. Transfer between stations is accomplished by oscillating shafts disposed between the stations carrying transfer arms which swing back and forth above the work level. Each work station has a pair of tube clamps and each pair of arms carries grab clamps. Controls prevent release of the tube clamps at each station until the grab clamps have engaged the tube, and prevent release of the grab clamps until the tube clamps at the next station have engaged the tube.
Although that machine is capable of fabricating a large number of constant length pieces of tubing in a relatively short time period, like most mass production equipment it is relatively large and requires a great deal of time and effort to modify the machine to handle constant length tubing of a different length.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved tubing processing machine, relatively compact in size, which is extremely flexible in application in that it can very easily and quickly (less than one minute), and without requiring special operator ability, be converted from being set for performing a sequence of operations on tubing of one constant length to being set for performing the same sequence of operations on tubing of a different constant length. Tubing fabricated on the machine of the present invention may be delivered for bending to the bending section of the aforesaid patented machine.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.